Head of Food
Mellors Catering Services – Fuelling Minds and Nourishing Futures
Our Mission is: Top quality service and food create happy and successful people
Job Details:
Hours: 40 per week
Benefits: Company Car/Car Allowance/Mileage Allowance, Laptop and Phone
Salary: TBC
Location: North of England, Birmingham to Carlise (Travel required)
Accountable To: Chief Operating Officer
All business expenses paid
At Mellors Catering Services, we don’t just provide school meals; we create fresh, tasty and nutritious eating experience which leave taste buds tingling within schools, further education and businesses.
About the Role:
This is an exciting opportunity for someone to join an established, privately owned company whose remit will cover the North of England. You will directly oversee two executive chefs, a nutritionist and our mobile added-value Tuk Truck.
Our ideal candidate would be currently in a head of food or similar role, preferably in the contract catering sector. The role is to lead the food strategy, drive commercial performance and elevate our food offer across the business. This is a hands-on role requiring creative flair and commercial discipline.
The role will include the following duties:
· Create menus that balance with food standards, flavour, presentation, profitability, market trends, seasonal, attendance and demand
· Standardise recipe, production methods and presentation guidelines across the business
· Using data to support menu development and cost control
· Develop, launch and monitor on-trend menus and seasonal concepts
· Reducing waste through menu engineering and operational controls
· Helping the business deliver strong food cost control with accurate costings
· Working collaboratively with the procurement team to optimise supplier partnerships and buying efficiencies
· Innovate new food ideas, techniques and presentation styles
· Be able to deliver hands-on craft-led training, raising standards and consistency
· Be able to lead mobilisations for new contracts, concepts and operational changes
· Ensure high-level compliance with HACCP, COSHH, allergens and food safety regulations
· Supporting operational excellence alongside our executive chefs
· Be able to inspire, develop and empower your team and others
· Foster a culture of creativity, accountability and high performance
· A strategy for a long-term food vision aligned with business objectives
· Monitor sales performances, costings, added value events, and company-led innovation
· Identify new sales opportunities through innovation, concepts and offers
· Gather and analyse customer feedback, participation and satisfaction scores to help refine means
· Drive sustainable food practises
· Collaborate with suppliers to test new products and ingredients
Skills/Experience Required:
· A craft-trained culinary background is essential in this role, with multi-site catering experience required
· Proven experience required in increasing margins and driving profitability
· Familiarity with kitchen management software, POS systems and menu costing tools required
· Advanced food safety certification preferred
· Evidence required of delivering increased profitability through food strategy, menu engineering, operational efficiencies, innovation and quality assurance
· Procurement experience is desirable
· Strong knowledge of sustainability and nutrition is required
· A strong commercial mindset with a clear understanding of margins, profit and loss accounts, cost control and business drivers necessary
· Experience in leading a team in growing a business
· You must be able to provide pragmatic solutions and problem-solving
· Be able to lead with presence, engaging with teams and sites
· A strategic thinker with the ability to see the bigger picture
· Strong team management through KPI’s
· Experience in conducting food audits to maintain consistency and standards
This role will be mainly office-based, with flexibility in working hours to meet the demands of the business.
For this role, you must be able to drive.
It will be necessary for the company to apply for a DBS check at the commencement of employment.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: From £45,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Additional leave
- On-site parking
Experience:
- Cooking: 5 years (required)
Licence/Certification:
- Driving Licence (required)
Willingness to travel:
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Greater Manchester
